North Miami Mayor Andre Pierre had people scratching their heads earlier this month, as he tried to explain why he ordered 43 police-style badges for his three-member staff.
But giving police-style badges to officials who aren't police officers has happened before in South Florida.
Several cities issue badges to commissioners, mayors, city clerks, city managers and, in at least one case, department heads.
Some say the practice of giving badges to civilians invites abuse from those who might use them to avoid speeding tickets or get admitted to night clubs.
"I don't know what purpose they would serve, other than if elected officials would want special treatment," said Police Benevolent Association President John Rivera."Most of them run around with entourages anyway, so it shouldn't be that hard to identify them."
The badges carry no legal weight, but some officials say they need them in case of emergency. "Imagine what might happen during a hurricane, nuclear accident or other disaster situation," said Cutler Bay Town Councilwoman Peggy Bell, who along with the rest of the town council made the decision to issue badges this year. "A Cutler Bay official could be denied necessary access during this time of great need."
Miami Lakes Town Manager Alex Rey agreed.
"The only time I used my badge was during hurricanes," said Rey, whose town issues badges to the manager and elected leaders. "I was walking around in my jeans and wanted police to know I was a town official."
On the other hand, Opa-locka City Clerk Deborah Sheffield Irby said she hasn't found the need to use her badge yet.
"It's sitting on my desk and has been on my desk for the 18 years I've been here," she said. "I don't carry it around."
Most cities do not have written guidelines for how badges can be used.
"Obviously, they need to be used for appropriate purposes," said Mitchell Bierman, Cutler Bay town attorney, whose law firm represents several South Florida cities.
"My guidelines would only be used in connection to their official duties. I'm certain that all of our council members understand that."
To purchase official badges, some retailers require written approval from the departments requesting them.
"We ask for a letter of authorization on the department's letterhead, along with department identification before selling them," said Alex Sgambato, a sales representative for Law Enforcement Supply, a North Carolina-based company that has a showroom in Miami.
"Most large companies have the same policy we do, but there are a lot of mom-and-pop shops that don't ask for any form of ID."
In Sunny Isles Beach, the mayor, city commissioners and department heads are given badges upon their appointment. City spokeswoman Stephanie DeThomas said the badges are mainly used in ceremonial matters, not for everyday identification.
"Whenever a high-ranking official is elected or appointed, they are given to them," she said. "If they leave or are dismissed from their position, the badges are collected immediately."
However, some say giving city officials badges can mislead people into thinking they have more power than they actually do.
"I don't care if it says 'council member' or 'Popeye' on it. No one really reads a badge," said Nancy McCue, a retired North Miami police commander who was on the force for 27 years and who now lives in Deerfield Beach. "It can be very confusing. There is a lot of responsibility that goes with a badge."
McCue, who retired in 2000 and has a retiree police badge of her own, said the emblem should be given once the individual has proved they're capable of using it conscientiously.
"It's one of those things that you earn," she said. "In North Miami when you retire, you're given your gun. Do I use my gun? No. It's been in my safe since I retired. But, at least I earned it."
North Miami City Councilman Scott Galvin also disagrees with the practice.
"I was offered a badge when I first got elected to the council back in 1999 and I turned it down then," he said. "I have a lot of respect for law enforcement officers, be it police or firefighters. I don't deserve a badge that they worked so hard to earn." Palmetto Bay Mayor Shelley Stanczyk said she can see why residents would question the use of badges by city administrators."
"I had one as a council member and basically we don't really use them that often," she said. "It is a method of official identification for official circumstances. People are concerned with anything that's used as official, and that's understandable."
The police union's Rivera offered a simple suggestion for non-officers who want a badge: Become a cop.
"If they want to be like police officers so bad," he said, "come on out and join us on the street."
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
